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To Whom Are You Drinking Right Now?


starfish

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To my partner, who has endured SIX flight delays or cancellations over the past few days while attempting to find a job that will (ironically) involve less travel and will allow us to truly live in the same city. Air travel is becomming inhumane. Let's not even think about the enormous waste of productivity for people who are caught in delay or cancellation hell.

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Air travel is becoming inhumane.

This is why I am loath to travel anywhere by air. I'm not alone in this; which is why members of my family chose to drive to Georgia for a funeral over a weekend to attend a funeral, rather than fly. Twelve hours in the car, both coming and going, beat the Hell out of dealing with the airlines. I'm old enough to remember when flying was a very comfortable, pleasant way to travel and something to look forward to, rather than a cause of anxiety. Not anymore.

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To my very dead air conditioner, that we really hoped could make it until next year. And a good-bye to the bonus summer trip to St. Louis we had planned as the major systems replacement fund wasn't quite prepared for this. On the bright side, I think Mr. BLB has bought into upping that budget before the roof goes...

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I assume we are all "wetting the head" of the would-be King of England. Or, possibly, wetting the head of our new relations, plants, pets, or anybody else who needs a special blessing. Personally, I am hoping that the beautiful Kate has a much more successful marriage, and life, than her late Mother-in-Law did.

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Cheers to your boss, the future king of England, Dennis Farina, Guillermo del Toro (although I haven't seen Pacific Rim yet), & Tujague-especially to you for your kitty-none of mine have enjoyed as long a life w/ me, but I loved them all-please don't let the thunderstorms land any more limbs or branches on my roof or yard tonight....I drink to the promise of a brighter future, or just a future at all...

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Believe it or not, I'm hoisting a drink to the DC Government. Dame Edna and I just got home from a community town hall to get info on the new Obamacare law. If all goes as planned--and they have some top-notch, dedicated people on it--this should be a model for the rest of the country.

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Tonight, I'm finishing off my Green Hat summer gin to the writers of the latest expansion to Borderlands 2.

"Why to a video game DLC, SeanMike?" you might think.

Seriously: the writing in this game has been fantastic, and the entirety of this DLC - from dealing with issues like "fake gamer girls" to the overall theme of "young woman dealing with the death of one of her best friends" has been handled beautifully, with both humor and drama, in a way that I haven't seen almost anywhere else.

It takes some investment to understand the stories - i.e., you need to have played through the hours of the game up until this expansion - but the deft handling of the subject has left me amazed.

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Thank you all for the condolences. The kindness shown here to a stranger following the deaths of my brother last year and now my cat are but one of the reasons I value this site, its members, and especially Don so much. I've edited hundreds of books over the past two decades, but nothing I did in that time was more important or gratifying than being "Dad" to this kitty and his late sister.

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Thank you all for the condolences. The kindness shown here to a stranger following the deaths of my brother last year and now my cat are but one of the reasons I value this site, its members, and especially Don so much. I've edited hundreds of books over the past two decades, but nothing I did in that time was more important or gratifying than being "Dad" to this kitty and his late sister.

This community should be all about kindness and empathy towards all people.

And, along similar lines: to Tom S. for coming out. Nobody cares, my friend; at least, nobody worth worrying about. It's time for people to leave their ignorance and prejudices in the past where they belong.

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Thank you all for the condolences. The kindness shown here to a stranger following the deaths of my brother last year and now my cat are but one of the reasons I value this site, its members, and especially Don so much. I've edited hundreds of books over the past two decades, but nothing I did in that time was more important or gratifying than being "Dad" to this kitty and his late sister.

There are many, many "cat people" here--"dog people," too. We've all been there and had to do that. Much empathy for you and your loss, since we know exactly what you're going through..

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Bryce Harper.  Watching him play makes me feel young again.

You beat me to it.  Picture me, with my Radio Shack transistor radio with fancy ear buds, on the bus going to the Penn Quarter farmers market this afternoon, just so I could listen to the game. I should point out here that the game started at 12:30 and I caught the bus about 2:15. Got home just before 4 pm, put away my purchases and had the radio in the apartment on when Harper did his magic at about 4:15. Does anybody else think it just takes too long to play a 9-inning game? Not that I'm complaining about the results.

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To Annie Kaylor, the longtime bartender and night manager at Annie's Paramount Steakhouse. Say what you will about the restaurant, but for many years, this was perhaps the primary restaurant in DC where GLBT people knew they would be welcomed and be served with respect. Times have changed, but it's important to remember and respect the role that Annie and her namesake played in DC gay life.

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Tom Head loved Annie's Paramount - I remember writing him, and his first meal back in DC after being abroad for a long time was at Annie's. I didn't know Annie, but God love her - was the restaurant named after her? If so, that's a really big deal (although it doesn't increase or decrease the tragedy either way).

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When I went past Annie's tonight, men were standing in line to have their picture taken next to her make-shift memorial outside the restaurant, many of them weeping. We pay so much attention to the big-name chefs and the latest food trends, but this was an ordinary woman who made an outsized difference in the cultural life of this city. As I understand it, yes, the restaurant did come to be named after her. But regardless, you're right, this is a big deal.

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To Bill Scranton, a true gentleman. I'd have added "Governor", but on the few occassions that we met (always across a tennis net), he simply said "Hi Keith, I'm Bill - take it easy on an old man". If only his humility and grace were more present in today's politicians (of any party).

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To my Dad, who turns 86 tomorrow, and to his oldest grandson, my godchild, who is beginning his freshman year at Harvard in a few weeks. My Dad was an orphan of immigrant parents who died shortly after coming to America, and he became a foster child in Dickensian circumstances. He escaped via the friendship of petty gangsters and, when he was of age, the Navy. He believed that only education could redeem him. He earned three degres after his military service, while raising three children. His pride in his grandson is immense, and it is a true manifestation of the American dream.

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A couple of nice tributes to Annie Kaylor in Metro Weekly and the Blade. Apparently her brother added her name to the restaurant in 1962, which he opened in 1948--it's 65 years old this year! (The original site is where JR's is now.) It's hard not to choke up hearing this story: "In the late "˜60s or early "˜70s there were two men sitting at a table and she saw that they were holding hands under the table. And she walked up to them and she sort of startled them. She said, "˜You guys don't have to hold hands under the table.' She said, "˜No, no"”you hold those hands right up here on top of that table.'"

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To hillvalley , who is off on a great adventure. DC will never be the same.

I'll toast to that. Time is slipping by fast and I'm sad the joint happy hour never materialized, at least to the general DR community. It is a great adventure and I wish her all the best. So exciting!

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To second opinions, because one just reduced my recommended dental treatment cost from $11,000 to $750.  I think I can come up with something else to do with 10 grand.  I'll also drink to avoiding exploitation in a free-market driven health care system.

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I'm lifting my coffee cup this morning to toast the Nats. (I ran out of gin during the game last night, which didn't end until 12:45 am!) I'm also glad a game like that doesn't happen very often.  Still, I'm anticipating the end of the season the way a lot of kids look to the opening of the school year--with anxiety and loathing for the "void."

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To the dream job offer my partner received! After months of interviews and lots of difficult waiting, the news is sweet.

Sadly, it will mean that we no longer need a second home in DC...not sure how that will play out, but I have loved every opportunity to spend time in the District over the past 10 years.

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I'll toast to that. Time is slipping by fast and I'm sad the joint happy hour never materialized, at least to the general DR community. It is a great adventure and I wish her all the best. So exciting!

Squids, I wish there had been time for a HH.  One of the hard parts of uprooting your world in less than eight weeks is not getting to say goodbye to everyone you hoped to see one last time.

Tonight I drink local red plonk* to my nephew who finally arrived.  And to my 22 month old niece, who whispers to everyone, "Shhh, Baby sleeping" anytime they talk around him.

And to my new neighbor, a grandpa aged man who smiled wide as he watched me navigate the bus system back to our village yesterday and is the only person I have seen pull off a wife beater with grace.  And to his wife, who hasn't smiled at me yet.

*Around here, they cut the plonk with a lighter version of Sprite, making it almost drinkable.

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